The Early Show

Cruise: I Don't Read About Me

Tom Cruise might be the most successful and most talked about movie star in the world.

He's back in theaters in "Mission: Impossible III," which opens Friday.

These days, he's always making headlines. But whatever we might have read in the tabloids, he probably hasn't.

Cruise recently sat down with The Early Show entertainment contributor and People magazine editor at large Jess Cagle and spoke about his new movie, his family, and why he tunes out the rest of the world.

"You live your life and be a good person and work hard and — and do the best you can," he said. "And basically, that's — that's what I'm doing with my life. And … ever since you start with actors, you know, the rumors, the this and that, I can literally predict what people are going to say, because I've been through it for 25 years, OK? And it's something that — and that's the world you live in. For me, I don't even pay attention to it. It's like, 'Whatever.' … It's not even a blip on the radar screen for me. You know, I'm just — I'm going. And you know, that's what I'm doin'."

And, says Cagle, what Cruise is doin' is these days is "Mission: Impossible III," the latest adventure thrill ride in the franchise that's already taken in over $1 billion at the box office.

"I never look to try to top myself," Cruise told Cagle. "I don't know how to do that. I really look for what is it — what is it that interests me. I wanted that personal side of Ethan (Hunt, his character in the film). And that's why it took me so long to make the next one, because if I don't feel that I can — I don't know how else to explain it, to where you go, 'I wanna do this; you know, I'm interested in this, I'm excited by this.' Then I'm not gonna do it."

"I get excited about everything," Cruise said, laughing with Cagle, " on a movie set. It's — really, it's such a — I feel like a little kid every time I get on a movie set. I love it. So, that's what I'm looking for: What is that buzz? What is that story? You know, and how far — how far can we push the story? How far can we push those scenes? And that's what I'm looking for, really."

"The story in this one," Cagle said, "is — I don't know exactly what the right word is — but the story in this one is more straightforward; isn't as intricate as the first two movies. Was that on purpose?"